The long construction project to turn the once-desolate Park Avenue in downtown Lake Wales into an attractive pedestrian magnet is apparently approaching a conclusion. Once completed, the entire length of Park Avenue will be open for two-way traffic for the first time in nearly two years.
Newly-poured concrete sidewalks and curbs are signs that the reconstruction of the intersection of Scenic Highway and Park Avenue in Lake Wales is rapidly approaching a conclusion. Space has been reserved for trees and other landscaping at the site.
Traffic on Scenic Highway has been detoured around the construction site since late October. The project timeline suggested a 90-day closure, but that schedule may be surpassed if progress is maintained.
The work is the first and most-complex project of urban renewal called for in the Lake Wales Connected plan. The plan, guided by a team of professional planners, included months of effort collecting citizen input.
The $11.5 million project was funded through bonds issued by the Community Redevelopment Agency, which collects the “tax increment” created by rising property valuations within its boundaries.
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